Poor Communication Skills
by phsquared
Summary: Will bad communication skills be the end of Castle and Beckett. i just wanted to see how a situation from NCIS:LA would be if it were Castle and Beckett. Don't be mad.
1. Chapter 1

He woke up to the sound of his phone ringing. He had gotten so used to her calling to let him know where the dead body was that he didn't bother to check the caller id anymore. He just assumed.

"Hey, Beckett, where is the body?"

"No, Mr. Castle, there is no body, yet at least. Plus it is detective Beckett's day off."

"Ohh, sorry Captian. What can I do for you?"

"The precinct needs you to do something for us. It is urgent. Please come in as soon as you can."

"I will be there in ten minutes." He hung up the phone and debated whether to call Beckett. He decided against it because he thought that if it was urgent enough for Castle to be there then it was definitely urgent enough for her to be there. He arrived at the precinct when he said he promised and did not see Kate's car where it usually is parked. He ignored the fact that there was a pain in his heart not seeing her familiar car there. The car that mean so much to him. Both of them. Even though neither of them really wanted to admit it, they needed each other, they wanted each other. But as Castle walked into the precinct, he ignored anything that would remind him of her. He figured if she wasn't here then it didn't concern her. The desk where she worked was empty and there wasn't even a coat on the back of her chair saying that she was in the break room or anywhere else in the building. But he ignored all the signs and walked straight into the Captain's office.

"Mr. Castle, I am glad you could make it. We need your help."

"Okay, I am listening."

"There is a murderer on the loose that has been killing fans at famous book signings. We want you to host a book signing so we can catch her in the act. With your help we can finally give ten families closure."

"Of course I will, just tell me when and where and I will have Meredith set it up."

"Saturday at eleven? New York public library. That sound good?"

"Yes, on one condition. Beckett is nowhere near the library at the time. The series is based on her and this precinct so I don't want to put her in danger. I don't want to lose her."

"Okay, looks like we have a deal. I will put her on desk duty all day. Do you want me to tell her or do you want to?"

"No, I will take care of it, she is my partner."

"No, Mr. Castle, you do not work here."

"I know, I just feel special and all."

"Okay, go tell her."

"Thanks." He said as he walked out of her office and reached into his pocket. He quickly produced his phone and dialed her number from heart. It rang a couple times before she answered.

"Castle? Why are you calling me? Do you miss me already?"

"Yes of course I do. I can't live without you; you should know that by now. But no that's not why I called. We need to talk. Can you meet me at our usual?"


	2. Chapter 2

_"Thanks." He said as he walked out of her office and reached into his pocket. He quickly produced his phone and dialed her number from heart. It rang a couple times before she answered._

_"Castle? Why are you calling me? Do you miss me already?"_

_"Yes of course I do. I can't live without you; you should know that by now. But no that's not why I called. We need to talk. Can you meet me at our usual?"_

_##########_

"Yah, I will be there in ten."

They hung up the phone and both headed to their favorite spot. The swing sets where they shared intimate moments but never fully told each other how they felt.

"Hello, Beckett. I need to tell you something and I don't want you to get mad or run okay."

"Castle, no I don't want to know okay."

"No, Kate you need to know this before Saturday. Okay just listen. Gates is sending me on a mission to help the precinct. It's Saturday at eleven. I have asked her to put you on desk duty that day so you couldn't be near this."

"What? Why, you are not a cop. I am. Why is she sending you to do something? She doesn't even really like you."

"Because of my connections. I am hosting a book signing because there is a murderer out loose killing females at famous signings. They want to try to catch the perpetrator in the act."

"Then why can't I come to help you. I mean the book series is based on me. And the boys, why can't I go?"

"That is exactly why you can't go; it would put you in danger. If the suspect saw you and found out you were my muse then she might try to kill you. I can't lose you."

"There is nothing that I can do to change your mind is there."

"No, anything you do would just make me want you to stay even farther away. But I have to go. I have to tell Meredith last minute about this book thing so I will see you when I am done. Bye."

"By Castle. Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow." And with that they both walked off in different directions. Castle opened his car door and hoped in. He watched Kate call a cab and hop in without even looking back. When she was out of eye sight, he started his car and drove home. He was really excited about the operation, but terrified that she would not be there next to him where she belonged. He cared about her a lot. But they worked together and Gates would never approve. They both could tell that there was something there but neither of them really wanted to admit it. So when any one ever asked them about this thing between them, they would deny everything and say that they were just partners, just friends. That is the way it had to be.

A couple days had gone by and Castle had been called into the captain's office numerous times already and Kate started to worry.

It was Saturday morning. Seven thirty. Kate entered the precinct to see Rick sitting at a table in the break room. She dropped her stuff off at her desk and headed to the break room.

"Hey, Castle. What are you doing here? I thought you had a signing today."

"Yah, I am just getting ready." He looked down back at the paper and continued signing. When Kate looked at the paper, she saw that it was covered in his name. He was practicing his signature.

"Wow, Castle. Do you really need to practice? You have probably done this thousands of times."

"Yes I do."

"Do you have extra pens?"

"Yes."

"Do you have water?"

"Yes."

"Sunscreen?"

"Kate I am going to be fine. This is what I do."

"I know but I would still be more comfortable if I was there to watch your ass."

"Of course you would." Castle gave her a look that made Beckett reconsider her approach. "Not like that. I mean watching your back."

"That's not what you said."

"You know what I mean."

"Do you know what you mean?" Castle gives her a look as if he was questioning her words.

"Yah, wait why? Wait, what do you think that I mean?"

"I really have no idea." There is an awkward silence that comes upon the two as Castle starts to pack up all of his papers and pens.

"Okay, so where does that leave us?"

"I don't know, where does that leave us?"

"You can't keep doing that. You can't keep just answering my questions with questions."

"Why not?" He smiles as he says that because she is so pretty when she is mad.

"You have terrible communication skills."

"I do?"

"Yah."

"You are the one who never says what he means."

"That's not true."

"Then say something you actually mean."

They look at each other until Esposito comes in and gives Beckett a note.

"Castle it is time to go."

She was still standing there when, Castle got up to leave. "Exactly." And with that he was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

_They look at each other until Esposito comes in and gives Beckett a note._

_"Castle it is time to go."_

_She was still standing there when, Castle got up to leave. "Exactly." And with that he was gone._

_########_

Kate stood there frozen. She couldn't move. She had the note in her hand. She opened the paper and there were three simple words on the paper.

_Heat and Cherries_

"Heat and Cherries, two of my favorite things." She looked towards the door, hoping that he would come back and give her one more chance to say something she really meant. But he never came back. He was gone for now. After Castle left she stayed at the precinct well after her shift was over. She ended up falling asleep in the break room.

The next morning Castle walked into the precinct and found that Kate was in the same spot where he left her the day before. But before he could get to her, Gates called him into her office.

"I want to congratulate you on your accomplishment yesterday with your signing. It helped us apprehend the bitch who was killing people."

"Thanks, any new cases."

"Actually yes, can you go wake up Detective Beckett and go to the briefing room. We need you two on a stake out. I would put Ryan and Esposito, but I thought you would want to for your books."

"Yah of course. Thank you. I will go get her."

After waking her up, and getting briefed on the matter, they made their way into the building from where they would be surveying the operation. Esposito was going to go undercover to get the scoop on something.

They had been there for at least an hour when the suspects finally came out of the warehouse with Esposito. They were looking out the window when they saw Esposito embrace one of the leaders in a passionate kiss.

"Man, we should not mention that to Lannie, like ever." Kate said as she put her binoculars down.

"It's not like he had a choice, he was protecting his cover." He said as he heard his phone vibrate.

"Well that's interesting, kind of like me when I was undercover with Tanner."

"Undercover, or under the covers?"

"And there it is again the little brown eyed writer boy makes an appearance."

"Wha… What… what does that even mean?"  
"Nothing is means nothing."

"Like I said poor communication skills." As he said that he got up and walked to the door. She got up and followed him as he said his rant about children and how she was acting like one.

"You never ever ever ever know what the hell you're talking about because you never say what you mean. It's so frustrating, it is like working with a fourteen…" Her words were cut short as she gasped at the touch of his soft lips. He was kissing her. They stared into each other's eyes for a couple seconds until she finally spoke.

"How was that for communication?"

He fluttered his eyes like a girl and his mouth was opening and closing as if he wanted to say something. The message on his phone was lighting up and he knew he had to go. He was confused and hurt at the same time. Why hadn't she done that when he gave her the chance the day before? His face turned from shocked to serious within a matter of seconds and he said, "I have to go. Alexis."

And with that he left. Grabbed his stuff and left, leaving Beckett to watch Esposito and Ryan take down the suspects. It was over, the operation was a success. But he had left her there standing in the room alone. After she had told him how she really felt. How could he do that to her? He just left her there. Heartbroken.


End file.
